NASS Agrees on Electoral Bill Amendment

The House of Representatives has backed the senate in the recommended Electoral Amendment Bill, which the Senate passed last week.

Earlier, the national assembly had different positions on the bill. Tuesday’s action by the reps has put NASS in the same position. 

 Tuesday’s amendment stated clearly the mode of primaries for political parties. The harmonized version of the bill, which the Senate considered, revealed that the lawmakers have adopted all three modes of primaries, with a clear definition of “how parties can use consensus to elect candidates.”

The house had re-amended the bill in line with a motion on ‘rescission on clause 84 of the Electoral Act No. 26 2010 (Amendment) Bill, 2022 and Committal to the Committee of the Whole.’

The Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi, sponsored the motion, and after the amendment to the Electoral Bill by the Committee was done, Ahmad Lawan, the Senate President, noted that the re-amendment was necessary to harmonize the Senate position with that of the House of Representatives.

He revealed that the amendment includes completely defined provisions for the mode of primaries.

The Senate President said he is hopeful that the bill would be signed into law after the National Assembly transmits it to the President for his assent.

He, however, advised that all political parties should abide by the provisions on the mode of primaries, or they will miss out on the opportunity to participate during elections if it does otherwise.

In a statement by his media aide, Ezrel Tabiowo, the Senate President, said, “On the mode of conducting primaries by parties to produce candidates, we have concluded our task on the amendment to the Electoral Act No. 6 2010 Bill.”  

“You would recall that the Senate and the House passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill with a slight difference.